First Love on the front lines. A Hong Kong story: Wing and Tony are two 18-year-olds who are front-line protesters in an increasingly violent pro-democracy movement. They are also in love
HONG KONG - Many years from now, far from the spray of water cannons and the unmistakable smell of tear gas, they will look back on their season of protest and remember exactly how they felt.
Wing and Tony are two 18-year-olds in love. They are also front-line protesters in an increasingly violent pro-democracy movement that has upended this city for seven months. Normally quiet and reserved, the two have joined thousands of local teenagers in clashes with riot police all across Hong Kong, their hometown transformed into a battleground between China’s growing reach and people’s desire for more democracy.
The couple, who asked for only their first names to be used because they fear identification by law enforcement and arrest, met at an orientation camp during their first semester in college last summer. By then, the now-scrapped extradition bill, which would have exposed Hong Kongers to mainland Chinese justice, had already sparked mass protests across the city. Wing had just broken up with her boyfriend, who refused to join her at rallies and protests on the weekends.
“There was a point when a lot of people were chasing after us, so we were running away together,” Wing said. “It kind of felt like we were running away from the riot police.” Wing was different. She had already made up her mind to do whatever was necessary to fight against China’s encroachment.On the first of October, Tony heard that Wing was heading to the protest alone, and decided to join her. They were just friends then, relying on each other to keep the other safe.
“I was more impulsive than him.… I usually think and just go,” Wing said, laughing easily. “At first, I worried that he’s one of those people who would always tell others to leave the protest, but he wasn’t like that. Instead, he would ask why they were leaving.”“I can be the one to drag her back if she goes way too far to the front line,” he said, jabbing her on the shoulder.
Tony had attended nearly every protest by her side, keeping her safe but never questioning her decision to continue attending rallies despite the growing risks. Seeing the usually stoic Tony sniffling on the other side of the phone, she finally admitted to herself that she saw him as more than a friend.“Yes, girlfriend,” he replied, no longer crying. Finally, he thought.Tony: Just call me, it’s fine. This is a 24-hour hotline.
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